Using bait on stick baits.

[Xxx]

I watched a show called The Next Bite and it was about using a new trick with stick baits, and what they did was use a small piece of night crawler on the front hook that stands away from the lure when you lay the front hook back, this wont effect the action of the lure. We tried this method on a body of water near home. We caught 5 eyes that day along with smallies and nice crappie, 90% of the fish came on the lures with the bait tipped with the crawler, we also used smelt scent on the other baits to give them a equal chance but the crawler tipped lures out fished those scented lures. Just some food for thought. PAP.

[DJ 17]

We use that trick on Lake Erie most times we go.

[Xxx]

We use that trick on Lake Erie most times we go.

That's awsome Dennis.

[Diversion]

I do this as well, seems to really help some days.

[justtracytrolling]

I use a similar technique all spring casting during the alewive spawn.  Any lively alewives that get snagged I work slowly till they no longer are lively.  Bass, tigers, browns, and walleye will hit them much harder  than a plain bomber blue prism.  On flatter bright nights many of our fish come this way.  The snagged alewive will flutter on the surface trying to pull the bomber down all the while shaking the rattles in the bomber then floating back up.  This simulates the spawning action better than you can work the lure.  Granted on nights the eyes are aggressive the plain bomber does the job.  The biggest bass Ive ever seen came this way...24+ inches.  When I fish solo Ill put 1 rod in a rod holder with a snagged bait with just enough line to reach the water so there is no slack and cast another.  If you have any slack you usually will lose the fish.  It works best if the alewive is on the front or middle hook.  On the back hook they just steal your bait.  Usually if you handle the alewive to re hook it kills the bait much quicker and it wont work.  

[Xxx]

Awsome feedback guys!!! Nice to share tactics. I'm headed back there tomorrow, I purchased a spare transducer for my HDI to make it portable and the chip I have in it has this lake on it, it is electric motor only so need to be on the shelves where it drops from 10 to 20ft now I will have the contours!!!! And 2 extra batteries. I want to try my own version of a slow death rigs with the new style hooks I bought from NorthLand Tackle, quite impressive, and put the stick baits to the test and see what's better.

[RD9]

Chatter stixs with a half of night crawler works for a lot of erie guys. I have tipped other Sticks but at low speeds I would rather not. The chater stixs even chatter/wobble at 1.5 with half a crawler.

It took me a while to start using chatters but I almost always have one out now.

[Kevin J Legg]

I've heard of the worm trick but seldom tried it. Might work well on the river. I'll have to give it a test.

[Sluggo / NY]

As DJ717 said, that's a pretty common practice on Erie. I've found that on some days it makes a huge difference.. as almost everything come on tipped baits. Other days, probably when they're aggressive, it doesn't seem to matter. But I figure ... it never hurts. Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

[Xxx]

I've heard of the worm trick but seldom tried it. Might work well on the river. I'll have to give it a test.

Kevin I would think that with the current you wouldn't have to worry about the action, I was fishing the metal lipped Reef Runners, they have tremendous action so a small piece of crawler didn't effect the action.

[Xxx]

Why is it I'm always a day late and a $ short LOL. But hey, at least we know it works, as Sluggo stated and RD9 that it works and by people who have used this (quote, unquote) new tactic. Thanks guys!! Well tomorrow we are going to Lake Wallenpawpack about an hour north of the Pocono's we will see what happens. Will report on our day trip, leaving at 4:30am that should put us on the water by no later than 5:30am, hopefully catch the early walleye bite then go from there.

[TileMan Dan]

Pap, good luck on the trip. You might even hit some stripers also. Take your weapons along in case the fishing is slow , you can hunt for the cop killer. Good bounty out on his head. LOL

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[3feathers]

Great fishing tips..Have u ever tried herring fillet wrap around the middel of your reef runners while trolling..Works great on the old Flatfish also.Filet herring real thin wrap around middle of lure tie off with dental floss..If lure has middle hooks remove it and wrap fillet seldom affects lure action...Tite Lines

[icedd]

Hey Pap I fish the pack a lot haven't been there lately but usually fish off shuman point and walts cove area also good in front of the dike watch out keep em Loy's of standing timber

Good luck

Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[FleetTracker]

Kevin I would think that with the current you wouldn't have to worry about the action, I was fishing the metal lipped Reef Runners, they have tremendous action so a small piece of crawler didn't effect the action.

Did Reef Runner ever make a metal lipped bait?  I've never seen one.

 

I think it was Cabelas that came out with their own brand of look-alike Reefs with metal lips....

Edited October 31, 2014 by FleetTracker

[Xxx]

Did Reef Runner ever make a metal lipped bait?  I've never seen one.

 

I think Cabelas came out with their own brand of look-alike Reefs with metal lips....

Yes they were Cabelas brand, and personally I like the metal lip better, I always had trouble with the "reef runner brand" either running left or right or they would spin out at speeds a tad above 2mph. I know that they tunable, but with the metal lip they have the action of a hot & tot but with a lot bigger and slower wobble and they bounce over the rocks much better also. I have caught more walleye with the metal lip this year than all the years I had the original reef runners. Oh ever one we used from the smallest to the 5" ones work perfect right out of the box. I have had a lot of success with the hot & tot I just had to give them a shot, needless to say I went back and bought 8 more, some I bought were ugly colors and those I air brushed to the original fire tiger color, hot reddish orange with the thin black stripes down the sides, they work awsome!!! PAP.

[FleetTracker]

Yea I thought so... I bought a dozen or so in various patterns and tried them this year side by side with Reefs using a 9-rod spread.  Didn't have a single hit on them this year.  I'll sell them to you cheap.  Reefs always come through on Ontario - should have never doubted them and wasted $ on other stuff.

Edited October 31, 2014 by FleetTracker

[Xxx]

Some people are main brand oriented and thats all right, they worked on Erie, Beltzville, Wallenpawpack, and Tuscarora dam, the Delaware River, next year I will give them a go on the ST. Lawrance & lake O, I've had great success with them.

[FleetTracker]

I don't think it's a branding issue, but more so what works and if they're working for you keep at it. I thought the action looked appealing on them when they got wet but no takers. They are much smaller baits then Reefs so maybe that's the difference on Lake O.

[Xxx]

We went to Lake Wallenpawpack yesterday and the fishing was slow, we managed to catch 5 smallies on a jigging spoon that David was using we couldn't do anything with the bass by dropshotting or rubber worms, I managed I nice walleye on a Cabelas brand metal lipped reef runner, 3 really nice perch on a float rig with a pink worm and a nice crappie on the same rig, that's it from 5:30am to 4pm, we fished most all the island drop offs and the coves where the wind was blowing into. We fished from the dam to the lower end. We took my buddies bass boat, which was nice but, I think my uncle and I are going back up with my boat, we saw a lot of fish in 30-50ft but Dave isn't set up for deep water trolling. 2 years ago we did much better long lining off the riggers and slide divers. We managed some nice walleye and browns a few stripers none legal and some nicer smallies than any we caught yesterday. If it happens I will post our outting. For those who live or fished the Pack. PAP

[Xxx]

I don't think it's a branding issue, but more so what works and if they're working for you keep at it. I thought the action looked appealing on them when they got wet but no takers. They are much smaller baits then Reefs so maybe that's the difference on Lake O.

The ones I'm using measure 5" from the head to the tail, excluding the bill and the rear hook, that's larger than the 800 series in the reef runner only by a 1/4" but its a big lure, maybe you have the smaller version? Tight lines PAP.

[FleetTracker]

The ones I'm using measure 5" from the head to the tail, excluding the bill and the rear hook, that's larger than the 800 series in the reef runner only by a 1/4" but its a big lure, maybe you have the smaller version? Tight lines PAP.

Pretty sure they're 4" they make them in shallow and deep. Both 4" baits though. They're noticeably shorter with smaller bodies. They're the hot metal walleye runners.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Hot-Metal-Walleye-Runner/1434382.uts

Cabelas does have the real image walleye runners that are essentially the same size (direct copy) as the reefs but the action is pretty poor and the hooks need replaced out of the box. Did catch a few on those though. Makes me think it's the size that matters.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Fisherman-Series-Walleye-Runner/738604.uts

[walleyemagic]

Reefrunners don't work as good as bombers. Don't use them.

Sent from my XT907 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[FleetTracker]

Reefrunners don't work as good as bombers. Don't use them.

Sent from my XT907 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

 

haha come on buddy - we're trying to help out the fellow walleye fisherman here... stop feeding false information!    

 

They both have their time and place.

 

When you stopping by to help me get that ice shanty done?

[Xxx]

haha come on buddy - we're trying to help out the fellow walleye fisherman here... stop feeding false information!    

 

They both have their time and place.

 

When you stopping by to help me get that ice shanty done?

You know Fleet, I don't know what the hell I got, I have the Cabelas metal lip that measures 4"s and then I have these 4 that have metal lips that measure 5"s but there's no name on it and there shaped like the runners. I know I bought them from Cabelas but they were off a stand by the poles, not off the rack where all their lures are. Well they work till I lose them all. LOL